Means



(No Model.)

P. 1). T03R31 MEANS FOR DISOLOSING OBSTAGLES TO NAVIGATION.

No; 299,968. jeawmed June 1.0, 1884.

IMUGI I1 direction of and distanteto UNITE STATES-- FRANK )ELLA Touch, on nAL'rInonn, lnn'nrmsn;

MEANS Foe filscrosme OBSTACLES-TO NAVIGATION,-

SPHGIIICATIO orming part of Lettera'Pate nt No. 299,968, da mi June 10, 1884 Application died December 22, 1883. (I l'o model.)

To all whom it mag enema;

Be it known that I,.-l ANK DELLA Tonnn,

citizen of the UnitedS,ates, residing at Bal-' timore, in the county tf rBaltimore and State 5 of Maryland, haveinvtntcd certain new and useful Improvements ll Methods of and Means for. Disclosing Obstructions to Navigation, of

which the following i; a specification, referencebeing had thereirt-o .the accompanying m drawings," in which- Figure 11's a perspedive of the prow of a vesselprovided with an'apparatus construct t ed in accordance with my invention and adapted to practice my methtd-of asccrtainingtheobstructions at scam: in navigable waters. Fig. 2 is a plan,

' partly insection, of theapparatus employed.

The object of my invention is to provide a method of ascertaining the presence of ob- 2o structions to navigation and to determine their direction and distanceirom 'the point of observation; v

The principle of my invention involves the use of the echo-as a danger-signal. The tempcratu're and pressure of the atmosphere being. known, servation of any solid body is a mere, matter of computation, the velocity rangingfrom -about eleven hundred feet per second upward,- according to the temperature and pressure, so that ifa sound is produced on board of a vessel and rcverberated by any solid body, a simple mental or other calculation of the time intervening. between the production of the sound and the return of the echo is only necessary to determine the distance. The use of this method is applicable for shipsin fogg weather to detectthe presence of icebergs or of other A vessels, the near proximity of lan'd or other" 40 obstacles to safe navigation, and for coast'and harbor use to detect the approach of a manof-war or other vessel, and also torpedoes or boats to a ship moving or at anchor, and upon rivers to detect the approach or passage of smugglers. on the sense of hearing is available when it is most needed-that is, at night and in thick andfoggy weather.

' The principal devices employed in the practice of: iny'method are a sound-producer, a

v sound-collector, a

the'distanee from a point of obncctedin the electrical The method depending solely 1111- time-piece, and a compass, the first two being essential, and the remainder advantageous adjuncts. I

Arepresents a sound-producer, which in this instance is a bell, which upon being struck by a naval oflicc'r or any other operator stationed at B produces a sound, which, when returned as an echo by any obstacle, is received at a collector or sound-receiver, Q, pivotally supported upon anylsuitable stand ard, c, which with the apparatus are arranged upon the how I) or any other suitable part: of avessel. A mechanical or other telephone, E, may be connected with the sound-collector and applied to the ear of the observer for detecting the more indistinct echoes received from long disthe remaining devices of tances or from sound-revcrberating objects by repercnssiou of sound. From the sound-collector'may project an arm, 0, which is adapted to serve as a support for a compass, .a time-piece, G, indicating seconds and division thereof, whereby when the sound-collector is turned toward the source of the echo-producing object the direction may be read from thecompass and the time of the return of theecho may be indicated by the timepiece.

If dcsi red, an ordinary 1nechanicahtclcphone diaphragm may parabolic receiver or sound-collector (J, hcroin shown; but for the su'rer detection of the faintest echoes I prefer to insert in said focus the principal elements of a microphone, as shown at ll, said elements being suitably concircuit of a battcry,'l, which is also suitably connected with the telephone-receiver it. pass, chrouomctcr, and the telephone-receiver may be placed under the deck and used in the cabin or at any distance from the bow of the be placed in the focus of the The clectricbattcry, comvessel, and the sound-producing bell or a steam-whistle may also be operated by means of wires from the same locality, and to exclude as much as possible all sound of machinery or other noise except the distant rcvcrbera-.

tions received by'the apparatus the r'ece'iv ing-room may have its walls suitably padded. I am aware that parabolic funnels have been I used to collect sounds, and that ordinary trumpet-sh aped sound-collectors have been placed in communication by means of tubes with one 2. The combinatiomf' a, sound-producing or both cars of persons toincrease the volume "device, as described, microphone sound-col- ':of sound received. lectingdevice pivotallyaupported, atelephon- -Having described my invention and one aric receiver, and an electric battery, a compass,

'5 rangement of devices for practicing the same, and a time-piece, all Mil-(16d, upon the same what I-claim as new, and desire to secure by vessel and under contrnlof one operator, sub- Letters Patent, is- .stentially. as and for thapurpose described.

v 1. The combination of a; sound-producing In testimony whereoflnfiix'my signature I11 I device, as described, and a microphone soundpresence of two witnesses.

I O collecting" device pivotallysupported and pro- FRANK DELLA TORRE.

vidcd with wires for transmitting sound to n Witnesses: I 4 suitable receiver, withe compass, substeu- THOS. KELL BRADFORD,

tinlly as and for the purpose described. v BERNARD A. Boeen. 

